"Okay, Grace, you've got this! I have full faith in you," Orion said, his excitement noticeable as he watched Grace standing before the vast, empty expanse of grass beside Anara's towering tree.
Anara, Dariya, and Malaia stood behind him, gazes filled with hope and expectation, eagerly awaiting Grace's attempt to create her own tree again.
"I believe in you too, Grace. Show us what you're made of!" Dariya chimed in, mirroring Orion's enthusiastic expression.
Grace nodded with a determined look on her childlike features etched with resolve as she prepared to channel her innate ability.
"Will she succeed this time?" Malaia asked, turning her attention to Anara, who stood beside her with a hopeful expression.
"I certainly hope so. While I adore the bond we share and the strange sensations it brings, as Grace grows older and healthier, it's becoming increasingly uncomfortable for both of us," Anara replied, her voice tinged with weariness as she sighed.
Malaia raised an eyebrow in surprise. "But I thought you found joy in the unique sensation that comes with motherhood," she said curiously.
Anara shook her head in response. "You won't understand until you experience it yourself," she responded.
Upon hearing Anara's words, Malaia nodded eagerly, her eyes blazing with anticipation as she refocused on the scene before her.
"You can start whenever you're ready, Grace," Orion said.
"M ready," Grace responded, firmly nodding her head.
"Okay then, go ahead."
Grace stretched out her hand, and a pulsing soft light emanated from her palms. Almost instantly, medium-sized green vines emerged from the grassy earth-like roots. They slowly took the shape of a tree, forming its stem and gradually rising upwards. Step by step, the bark began to form, growing bigger and bigger until suddenly, the bright light vanished, prompting the tree to stop growing abruptly. As this happened, Grace's mind immediately became tired, causing her to fall backwards towards the ground.
Fortunately, Orion was already behind her and caught her before her body could hit the ground.
"Are you okay, Grace?" Orion asked carefully as he checked her for any signs of injury, sighing in relief when he found none.
"M okay, just tired," Grace responded, nodding wearily.
Anara soon arrived and knelt down beside them, using her ability to check Grace's health and aid her in fully recovering. Within seconds, Grace had returned to full health, prompting Anara to deactivate her ability and withdraw her hand.
"I still don't understand why she is still falling like this," Anara said, her voice firm, as she couldn't come up with any explanation except one, which was that it might be because Grace was not a fully-blooded tree nymph but a natural offspring between her and Orion.
Though this explanation settled many of her unanswered questions, they needed a much more detailed explanation to understand why Grace was finding it difficult to communicate with the earth.
Orion inwardly sighed and picked up Grace, pulling her into his embrace as he stood up. "Instead of doing this every week, how about we reduce it to once a month?" he suggested.
He could feel Grace subtly nodding her head in agreement.
Anara shook her head. "I don't think that would be a good idea. We need to get it right now while she's young so that when she grows older, she won't have much trouble utilizing her ability and won't cause trouble for herself and those around her," she responded.
Hearing Anara's response, Orion sighed and decided to remain quiet, understanding the importance of what she had said. Anara, alongside Dariya and Malaia, had properly explained to him how crucial this was for Grace's growth in the future.
However, despite Grace's rapid development, for him, she was still his newborn daughter with a very long life ahead of her.
He had to ensure that situations like this wouldn't adversely affect her.
Upon hearing Anara's words and strict voice, Grace lowered her head slightly, "M sorry, modda," she said.
Listening to Grace's words and witnessing Orion's comforting gesture, Anara couldn't help but exhale inwardly, wondering if she had been a little too strict in handling the situation.
"No, there's no need for you to apologize. You've done nothing wrong; I'm the one who has been a little too strict," Anara said, reconsidering her approach. "Maybe it's best I agree with your father and push this to only once a month."
When Anara said this, Grace immediately lifted her head from Orion's embrace and turned to look at her mother with hope and joy in her eyes. "Really?" she questioned eagerly.
Anara nodded, a warm smile appearing on her lips.
Grace's eyes widened in excitement, and she instantly leapt out of Orion's embrace and into Anara's. "Yesh! Thank you," she responded with gratitude.
Anara slightly gestured as she comfortably held Grace in her arms.
Dariya and Malaia observed the scene from a distance, feeling the burning desire to have a child of their own grow stronger within them. Orion noticed their longing looks and couldn't help but sigh. Despite loving them as his partners, he hesitated to give them a child because of Grace's condition, which was something that they all understood.
Nevertheless, as their tasks for the day were complete, Orion decided it was time to return. He bid Grace farewell with a warm hug and a kiss on her forehead, repeating the gesture with Anara, Dariya, and Malaia, lingering a bit longer with each of them.
Then, he turned and took off into the sky, heading towards Caretaker Shani's side of the farm.
Upon landing at Caretaker Shani's side of the farm, it took some time before Orion located her.
"Orion, why are you here?" Caretaker Shani's surprise was evident in her voice, unexpected as Orion's visit was, especially at this hour. Nonetheless, a thought quickly crossed her mind. "Are you here to see the Village Chief?" she asked curiously.
After all, after yesterday's events, it wouldn't be surprising if Orion came to see the Village Chief today.
Orion nodded in agreement. "I came to inform him about some things that might be helpful in our current situation," he replied.
